Cannes Lions 2026: What it takes for brands to become part of the culture

by Experian Marketing Services 3 min read September 1, 2026

Earn your place in cultural moments

Every brand wants to be part of the culture. Few know how to show up without crashing the party.The brands that get it right stay true to who they are, and the moments they create tend to stick long after the attention moves on. At Cannes Lions 2026, leaders from Alaska Airlines, Fetch, FreeWheel, Goodway Group, Grupo Bimbo, OAAA, PMG, Quan Media Group, Significant, The Weather Company, and Wpromote talked through what real cultural relevance looks like, from finding the right moments to keeping them alive long after the attention fades. Watch the conversation below to hear what it takes for brands to earn their place in culture.

Watch the conversation

How brands earn their way into cultural moments

Build the strategy behind the creative

A clear rationale helps bold ideas earn internal support and achieve the intended outcome.

Make cultural relevance feel genuine

A cultural connection lands when it reflects something people already care about, not when a brand forces it.

Move quickly and stay true to the brand

Teams create strong brand moments when they act on an opportunity without compromising the brand’s identity.

Plan the second act

Once attention drops, give people new ways to relive the experience and remain part of it.

Read the early audience response

Comments, shares, and other reactions can show whether an idea connects before campaign data offers a more complete view.

Add value to the experience

Brands earn attention when they give people something worthwhile, not when they simply place a logo in the moment.

Featured partners

Want more conversations like this one?

Connect with us to learn more about how streaming media helps brands reach real people across every screen.

This is one of several conversations from Cannes Lions 2026 on how brands can show up in culture with relevance that feels real. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our next Cannes conversation, fresh takes on cultural relevance, and honest advice from industry leaders on how brands earn a real place in culture.

For more from Cannes Lions 2026, continue with another conversation in the series

Contact us

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.


Latest posts

Brands, agencies and platforms benefit from increased match rates with Tapad’s, part of Experian, integration of The Trade Desk’s Unified ID solution

NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Tapad, part of Experian and a global leader in digital identity resolution, and The Trade Desk, a global advertising technology leader, partnered to integrate The Trade Desk’s unified ID solution in April 2019. The Trade Desk’s unified ID solution’s objective is to serve as a standardized cookie ID to help marketers reach more of their audience on the open internet. After an initial six month period, Tapad reports significant adoption rates and enhanced customer results since their joint integration in April. As a result of the partnership, client brands, agencies, DMPs/ DSPs, Data Providers, Mobile Networks and Measurement/Analytics Providers, saw increased match rates up to 38% and more global coverage without compromising precision. With this combined offering, Tapad’s global, privacy-safe digital cross-device solution, The Tapad Graph, connects brands with consumers over 4 billion devices globally. Over 25 companies who license The Tapad Graph, such as Annalect, Semasio, Retargetly, and ThinkCX, have also included The Trade Desk’s unified ID solution as a key identifier in their graph output. “The vast improvement in scale that Tapad has seen illustrates the value digital identity resolution products can bring for brands,” said Nate Gawel, General Manager of Data Partnerships at The Trade Desk. “We’re looking forward to continuing work with Tapad to prove that the open internet can deliver the very same benefits many reserve for large platforms.” Adoption of the unified ID solution allows all parties across the supply chain (SSPs, DSPs, DMPs and data providers) to utilize The Trade Desk’s cookie footprint to increase their own cookie coverage across the global independent internet. For more information, please visit The Trade Desk’s unified ID solution site, or https://www.experian.com/marketing/consumer-sync to learn more about Tapad’s digital identity resolution products. About Tapad:Tapad, Inc. is a global leader in digital identity resolution. The Tapad Graph, and its related solutions, provide a transparent, privacy-safe approach connecting brands to consumers through their devices globally. Our one-of-a-kind Graph Select offering enables marketers the flexibility and freedom of choice to correlate devices to varied objectives, driving campaign effectiveness and business results. Tapad is recognized across the industry for its product innovation, workplace culture and talent, and has earned numerous awards including One World Identity’s 2019 Top 100 Influencers in Identity Award. Headquartered in New York, Tapad also has offices in Chicago, London, Oslo, Singapore and Tokyo. About The Trade Desk:The Trade Desk™ is a technology company that empowers buyers of advertising. Through its self-service, cloud-based platform, ad buyers can create, manage, and optimize digital advertising campaigns across ad formats and devices. Integrations with major data, inventory, and publisher partners ensure maximum reach and decisioning capabilities, and enterprise APIs enable custom development on top of the platform. Headquartered in Ventura, CA, The Trade Desk has offices across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. To learn more, visit thetradedesk.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Contact us today

October 16, 2019 by Experian Marketing Services
Auto marketers: It’s time to pay attention to Gen Z

Gen Z is ready to be noticed and become a force to be reckoned with in the market. In the auto market alone, Gen Z made up 3.8 percent of all new vehicle registrations in the first quarter of 2019.

September 19, 2019 by Experian Marketing Services
‘Tis (always) the season for audience optimization

As ever, marketers have to be strategic to reach the right customers. Ensure seasonal messaging reaches the right customers with audience optimization. 

August 8, 2019 by Experian Marketing Services